A report released on Tuesday indicated that South Korea led global exports in 81 product categories during 2024, including memory chips, solid-state drives (SSDs), and face masks.

According to the findings from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), products manufactured in South Korea accounted for the largest share of global export value within their respective categories.

China topped the list with the highest export market share across 2,087 product categories. It was followed by Germany (520 products), the United States (505), Italy (199), and India (156).

KITA also noted that South Korea ranked between second and tenth place in export market share for an additional 19 products. The association suggested that the country has the potential to expand the number of product categories in which it leads globally in the future.

In 2024, South Korea’s top exported items included memory chips, power transformers, SSDs, lead-acid starter batteries for automobiles, rubber for automotive parts, and sheet-type face masks.

KITA highlighted that South Korea regained the top position in memory chip exports from China in 2024—the first time in five years—driven by strong global demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other advanced products manufactured by South Korean companies.